Structured abstracts of information on newly published books, computer programs, selected Web sites, and other material are provided in this portion of Medical Writings. Not all items submitted by publishers are abstracted, but a listing of almost all material received can be found in the advertising pages of each issue. “Order phone” numbers can be used to place orders directly with publishers.

Structured abstracts of information on newly published books, computer programs, selected Web sites, and other material are provided in this portion of Medical Writings. Not all items submitted by publishers are abstracted, but a listing of almost all material received can be found in the advertising pages of each issue. “Order phone” numbers can be used to place orders directly with publishers.

The full content of Annals is available to subscribers

Audience: Physicians and health care professionals interested in medical history, particularly Civil War medicine, and those without a medical background seeking a greater understanding of medical and surgical practice during the Civil War.

Purpose: To provide a comprehensive but readable historical review of medical practice during the U.S. Civil War.

Content: This single volume, which is ambitious in scope, covers all the major aspects of medical and surgical care during the Civil War. Chapters include a description of the poor preparation of both governments for providing medical services at the beginning of the war, the state of medical science in the 1860s, the development of field hospitals and ambulance systems, and specifics on the treatment of wounds. The author delivers a historical summary of the epidemiology of infectious and nutritional diseases during the war, the horrid state of prison camps, and the birth of the nursing profession in the United States. A final reevaluation ties all previous chapters together in a salute to the vast majority of physicians committed to the relief of suffering during the Civil War.